


Keep Up (the Good Fight)

by thelordvoldemort



Series: Years by Days [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2018-09-14 03:15:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 84
Words: 14,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9157789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelordvoldemort/pseuds/thelordvoldemort
Summary: A year-long look into Merlin and Arthur's relationship with their two daughters, Grace (~<3) and Jasmine aka Minnie (~<1).A continuation fic to A Day to A Year, A Love to A Lover, but flash forwarded 4 years ahead.





	1. Friday January 1st, 2021

**Author's Note:**

> And here we are again, my friends. Welcome back, or welcome aboard! While the year for us is 2017, the year this story takes place in is 2021.
> 
> Happy New Fears.  
> Happy New Year.
> 
> You all know the rules by now, and if not, go read ADTAYALTAL (omfg I can't believe I stuck with the title of the first fic for a whole year.)
> 
> Title from Anthem Academy's "Good Life." I might change it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I neither own Merlin nor its characters.

“Papa,” a sweet but loud whisper in his ear rouses him from sleep.

Arthur makes a faint questioning noise in response, not yet wanting to open his eyes.

“Papa.”

When Arthur still refuses to open his eyes, the voice stops and Arthur thinks that’s the end of it. A moment later, he is proven wrong when all the air in his lungs are whooshed out of him by a sudden weight on his chest, causing him to finally open his eyes.

“Gracy, darling, what did I tell you?” Arthur’s husband asks amusedly from beside him.

“Wake Papa, Daddy.”

“Yes, darling. Wake him, not make him sleep forever.”

The two-year-old eases up enough for Arthur to breath a little easier but Grace rolls her eyes that look so very much like Merlin’s, but roll and sharpen so very much like Morgana’s; but Arthur supposes that’s what he and Merlin get for using Merlin’s sperm and Morgana’s eggs to have this beautiful baby girl that is (almost quite literally in the biological sense) theirs.

“Sorry, Papa.”

Weakly attempting to smooth down his daughter’s unruly mess of bedhead that he knows he has no actual way of taming, Arthur smiles up at his girl. 

“I’ll forgive you if you can give me a good morning kiss.”

Smirking, Grace leans towards Arthur’s puckered lips and gives him a big smooch and waits until Arthur blows a raspberry against her tiny mouth.

Giggling, Grace pulls back.

“Good morning, baby,” Arthur tells her.

“Mornin’, Papa! Foxy has stinky breath. And Minnie's seven today!” Grace chatters on cheerfully.

“Seven _months_ ,” Merlin emphasizes.

“ _Months_ ,” Grace repeats back to Arthur very serious like, but with a glint in her eyes.

“Is she really?” Arthur asks, wide-eyed and with faux surprise.

“Yep!”

“And how old is Daddy?”

“Younger than you,” Grace announces Merlin’s usual answer proudly.

Arthur turns a bland expressed face to his husband.

“I was going to say good morning to you, but I don’t think I will now,” he informs him before turning to the baby in Merlin’s lap and Foxy at Merlin’s curled up feet. “Hi, babies. Good morning.” He reaches out a hand, pointer finger extended for the newly turned seven-month-old Jasmine to grab onto after he’s given Foxy a quick scratch behind the ears.

“Alright, don’t say good morning to your husband of three years, then. It’s not like I made you breakfast or anything,” Merlin says with an air of being hurt, but Arthur knows he’s just playing.

Smiling a crooked little smile, Arthur glances up at his husband.

“Hello, my love.”

Despite himself, it seems, Merlin can't help but smile back.

“Hello, my love,” Merlin parrots Arthur’s words back to him.

“Good morning.”

Smile widening with the corners of his mouth stretching even farther across his face, Merlin tells him, “Now that’s much better,” before getting a secure hold on the baby and standing up from the bed. And ever the dedicated pet, Foxy immediately stretches before bounding off the bed and across the floor to follow Merlin out the door. Silently, Arthur watches them go, though mostly he’s watching Merlin’s arse pull against his briefs.

A bright voice pulls him out of his daze.

“Papa, Daddy says you have ta help me brush!”

She means her teeth, and dragging his tongue across the front of his own, Arthur grimaces and thinks a morning brush is much needed.

“Up we get, then,” he directs his little girl.

Grace is more than happy to bounce her way off to the bathroom where she waits before the double sink for Arthur. When he arrives, she puts her arms out so Arthur can grab her by the armpits and lift her to sit on the counter.

Once settled, she reaches first for Arthur’s toothbrush, which she silently hands to him-

“Thank you, baby girl.”

“Welcome, Papa.”

-before grabbing her own. She then waits patiently once more, but this time, she is waiting for Arthur to put her special children’s toothpaste onto her brush, as she still has difficulty figuring out how much is too much.

“Thank you, Papa.”

“You’re welcome, baby.”

++

“What candle do you want, Gracy Lu?” Merlin asks his oldest daughter when she skips into the kitchen.

Tilting her head, she scrunches her nose up in contemplation for a few short moments before gasping in anticipation.

“Cherry!”

“Arthur-“ he starts to call out, only to be cut off.

“I heard her, love, I’ve got it.”

“Thanks.”

Merlin turns back to the kettle, waiting for it to boil.

At the sound of a lighter he sighs, excitedly anxious to find out if the new candle Arthur bought him for Christmas smells as good when it’s burning as the previously unlit wax suggests it will.

When the first hint of the candle reaches his nose, Merlin closes his eyes to better take it in. But, putting most of his focus on only one sense, it leaves him vulnerable. Therefore, he is surprised when arms wind around his stomach and a pair of lips attach to the nape of his neck then slowly make their way up his neck and to his ear.”

“Good morning,” Arthur whispers before placing yet another kiss to Merlin’s skin, this time behind his ear.

Opening his eyes and letting the corners of his mouth tilt upwards, Merlin leans back to better mold his body against his husband’s.

“Good morning.”

He turns his head to the side, a silent request for a kiss that Arthur is more than happy to fulfill.

They pull apart at the sound of the kettle going off followed by mild fussing.

“You get the baby, I’ll get the tea.”


	2. Saturday January 2nd, 2021

“Shake-a, shake-a shake-aaaaaah!” Grace chants quietly to herself as she shakes the glass jar she is using to make butter. It was a moment of childhood nostalgia that had Merlin asking his little girl if she wanted to give it a try. If it also helps to tire her out before bedtime, then that would make the experience even better for Merlin.

“What are you up to?” Arthur asks curiously as he enters the kitchen carrying a freshly bathed Jasmine dressed up for bed in a fuzzy onesie.

“But-her!” Grace pronounces.

“Butter?!” Arthur exclaims with a gasp, bright and smiley for his daughter’s benefit.

“Yeah!” 

Smiling back cheekily, Grace’s eyes crinkle and Arthur’s heart swells over how very much she looks like her dad when she does that. Perhaps Arthur’s love and pride are tangible and contagious because when Grace turns her smile onto her sister, the corners of Jasmine’s mouth tug upwards and she starts to squeal and babble happy sounds at her sister while smacking at her Papa’s chest.

As soon as a yawn cuts Jasmine’s babbling short, Grace turns to Arthur.

“Papa?”

“Yes, Lu?” he asks her.

“Can Minnie eat but-her?”

Arthur has to think that over for a moment. As he contemplates, he switches the baby from one hip to the other. The parenting books, guides, and blogs are just about all jumbled up permanently in his head by now and he is sure he remembers the general consensus being that babies can eat butter after six months. Seeing as Jasmine is, in fact, older than six months, he shrugs.

Not once has Grace stopped shaking the jar and Arthur has to admit to himself that he is fairly impressed.

“She should be fine, but let’s not give her too much,” he informs his eldest before giving her hair a run through with his fingers as he passes by her to take a seat at the breakfast bar beside his husband.

“Hello, little mouse,” Merlin cooes to Jasmine, who babbles at him instantly. Acting very invested, as if listening very seriously and joyously, Merlin nods along and makes all the proper excited facial expressions, which seems to encourage his daughter furthermore, although she starts to yawn every few seconds and her chattering has started to slow.

“Shake-a, shake-a, shake-a!” 

Grace can still be heard chanting to herself. It makes Arthur go all warm inside.

“All set?”

Arthur turns to look at Merlin then.

“Mmm. Hopefully, she’ll go down soon enough.”

“Here’s to hoping, then,” Merlin chuckles and leans in for a kiss, first to his yawning daughter’s forehead, and then to his husband’s lips.

“Here’s to hoping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://canigivemybaby.com/ is a life savior. I should warn you all that I am a 20-year-old and that I have never had any children of my own. I have four younger sisters, a whole bunch of younger cousins, I used to help my mom and some of her friends watch over their kids and other people's kids, and I used to be a babysitter (I have even taken babysitting classes). So, most of the information about children here will either be from experience, previously learned knowledge, or recently gathered knowledge through books, blogs, google searches, ect.


	3. Sunday January 3rd, 2021

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of ao3's current messy status, this did not post on time. However, it did post on time on ffnet, so I still count it!  
> (Let's hope it uploads here this time)

Today is the first brunch day of the new year and it is being hosted at the Emrys-Pendragon household.

"Uncle Gwaine, Uncle Percy! Guess what I made! Guess what I made!"

Lifting the three-year-old Emrys-Pendragon girl effortlessly in his arms, Percy gives her cheek a kiss before asking, "What did you make, Princess?"

"But-her!"

"Butter? Did you really?" Gwaine asks from beside them where he's holding his and Percival's nearly year and a half old son, Evan. His face is the perfect picture of impressed.

"Yes!" is all Grace offers before squirming her way out of Percy's arms and indicating with her hands that she wants to help Evan walk along down the hallway towards the other little kids currently in the living room.

With a pat to Grace's hair, Gwaine puts Evan down.

"Where's this butter Grace tells me she's made?" Gwaine asks first thing upon entering the kitchen.

"Table," Merlin announces absentmindedly as he bounces a fussing and unhappily mumbling Jasmine from one hip to the other, seemingly distracted and looking for something around the kitchen counters. "Arthur-!"

"Got it."

Merlin stops abruptly and turns to Arthur beside him, sighing in relief and smiling in thanks when his husband presents him with the unpeeled orange they have been letting Jasmine use as a teething toy and sneakily attempting to convince her is a prospectively good future snack.

"Holy shi- sheep."

The pair turn to find Gwaine munching on a piece of toast.

"Little Gracey made this?" he asks, holding up the toast to show off its smattering of butter.

"Old family recipe," Merlin shrugs.

Gwaine makes a noise of complaint when Percival comes in and steals his food. Trying a bite for himself, Percival gives a satisfied hum.

"Salted?"

"Course."

"Mm."

When Gwaine starts on another piece of toast for himself, the littlest shout comes from the living room.

"Uncle Gwaine, don' eat all'a it!"


	4. Monday January 4th, 2021

Today, Merlin and Arthur go back to work, much to the displeasure of their daughters who had grown used to constantly having their fathers around at their every beck and call. This makes for a rough morning, as Grace is very open about how little she likes the situation.

By the time Merlin and Arthur make it to their respective workplaces, their energy levels and moods have lowered significantly.

Even after spending the day with Gaius and Alice, Grace is still upset with her fathers and takes to clinging to them at home while also refusing to talk to them. That is until bath time rolls around and Merlin and Arthur decide to work together to bathe their two girls as they share a tub with each other, alongside a large part of their already extensive bath toys.

“Do you have work tomorrow?” Grace asks quietly with her eyes downcast towards the colorful bath toy that Jasmine has taken a sudden interest in.

“Yeah, baby,” Arthur regretfully tells her. To try to lighten the blow, he slowly cards his fingers once through her wet mess of hair.

“Do you have to?”

The puppy eyes she turns on her fathers is nothing new, but it still gets them every time.

Merlin sighs.

“Maybe I’ll take you and your sister to the doctors with me before I go to work in the morning.”

Grace only looks a little hopefully, but fairly pacified. She has never been one to care much for doctor’s appointments.


	5. Tuesday January 5th, 2021

Crying wakes Merlin in the early hours of the morning; the hours so early and so dark that some still consider it to be nighttime. Groaning quietly to himself as he stretches his way out of bed, he hopes this will be an easy fix, perhaps a dropped stuffed animal or a quick nappy change.

Upon entering Jasmine’s room, faintly lit by the glow of a nightlight, the first thing that Merlin notices is that the floor is spotless, meaning that there are no dropped toys, then. The second thing he notices is that his seven-month-old is sat up in her cot, whimpering and staring him down.

“What is it, little one?” he coos softly, even though he’s turned down the baby monitor in his and Arthur’s bedroom, so as not to wake his husband.

As Merlin nears the cot, Jasmine begins to quiet some. However, she also starts to worry her trembling lower lip and lift her arms up to indicate that she wants to be picked up. Knowing the crying will only start up again if he doesn’t give in, Merlin lifts Jasmine up and out of her crib, giving her forehead a quick kiss before running the usual dirty nappy test. Though her nappy does seem to be filled, Merlin counts himself lucky that it’s only pee.

After a fast change- because apparently, it is true what they say, that the second baby is so much easier than the first- Merlin hopes to get his girl back to into her own bed so that he can return to his and Arthur’s. This proves to be a fruitless attempt on his part when Jasmine clings to him every time he tries to ease her small body over the cot’s railing and onto her bedding.

Holding Jasmine out at arm’s length, Merlin looks his daughter in the eye and insists, “C’mon, Min.”

The baby’s only response is to reach her own arms out towards her father.

Sighing, Merlin pulls Jasmine in close, cradling her to his chest with one hand and using the other to smooth down her blonde curly locks.

“Alright, then. But if your Papa starts talking in his sleep, I’ll put earplugs in and let you deal with it yourself.”

Jasmine merely stares blankly at her dad.

Rolling his eyes and shifting his daughter so he can have more of a secure hold on her, Merlin heads out into the hallway only to stop once he reaches the door to his other daughter’s bedroom. He could have sworn he and Arthur had shut it after putting Grace to bed, so it comes as a shock for Merlin to find it open.

Using the nightlight in Grace’s room to help him see, Merlin ducks his head in to take a quick look around. Not finding his oldest daughter in her bed, where she should be, Merlin is struck with a sudden bolt of anxiety so tangible it causes Jasmine to fuss a little.

“Shh, I’m sorry. Shh.”

Once the baby has hushed, Merlin takes to his and Arthur’s shared bedroom as swiftly, but calmly as he possibly can without upsetting the baby further. But upon entering the bedroom, all of Merlin’s nerves come crashing to a halt.

On Arthur’s usual side of the bed lies the man himself with Foxy curled up on his chest and beside him on the middle of the bed, only the top of her head and her straggly mess of dark hair sticking out from underheath the blanket, lies their sleepy Gracey Lu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't updated on time for me, but oh well. I made it an entire 370 days posting on time, so I'm not really all that upset. Besides, I had promised myself to both be a bit easier and a bit tougher on myself. Maybe me not this entry on time means I'll post a super long entry tomorrow. Who knows.
> 
> Because of timeline reasons (as in....... like........ we are actually...... 4...... years.... ahead.... instead of 5....... because I can't math.....), I've changed Grace's age from 3 to 2. Jasmine is still 7 months. Everyone else's kids have ages that will be revealed soon enough. I have no idea how old the adults are.
> 
> I have been organizing my calendar to match up with 2021, including birthdays, parties, and last Friday of the month date nights. Not to mention that this isn't the only year-long fic I'm working on this year, so my calendar super filled and it's driving me nuts that it's still not complete. But oh, the things I do for the sake of my own writing...


	6. Wednesday January 6th, 2021

Both daughters already tucked in and sleeping peacefully in their own beds, Merlin and Arthur breathe sighs of relief that they were able to get them down early. With their morning starting earlier than normal when Grace woke at first light to the sight of a snow fall, something she just had to wake her fathers over so that they could watch with her.

Settled into their own bed, Arthur and Merlin curl up together in the middle, legs tangled under the covers that are under Foxy who is playing with a tiny toy mouse on top of his owners’ feet.

“Do you remember when we first got him?” Merlin asks of their cat.

“You mean when Gaius brought him to us?” Arthur counters with a raised eyebrow.

Merlin rolls his eyes.

“Mon petit,” he coos and Foxy takes a moment to look up at Merlin who grins at how easy it is to get the feline to purr.

“I prefer to make you purr, kitten,” Arthur teases with a smug smirk and a hand carding through his husband’s hair.

Merlin complains, “You’re so gross.” But he’s smiling as he says it.


	7. Thursday January 7th, 2021

With snow due to start falling around early afternoon, Merlin and Arthur decide to take a half day at work. To avoid the hassle of having to pick the girls up from a babysitter and risk driving in more snow than necessary, they each bring a daughter to work.

“Baby, who do you want to go to work with today?” they ask Grace over breakfast.

Their oldest daughter hums to herself as she contemplates her answer and takes her time chewing and swallowing a piece of jam covered toast. 

Throat cleared with a gulp of milk, Grace points back and forth between her fathers, muttering the words to “eeny, meany, miny, mo” to herself.

“Papa.”

This is how Merlin ends up running around and commanding his office with a hyperactively chatty baby strapped to his chest all morning.

“I hear your girl has a new nickname,” Morgana greets him when she sits beside him in the conference room.

Merlin rolls his eyes. All morning, Jasmine has babbled and shaken her hands and arms at every single person that has said hello to her, earning the new nickname, Jazz Hands Jasmine.

“Hello, Jazz!” Morgana cheers brightly to the little babe with a wide, open-mouthed smile and wide eyes.

A happy cry and widening mouth pops the spit bubble that Jasmine was blowing with her open mouth. As she has done throughout the rest of the morning, the seven-month-old shakes her hands at Morgana, who mimics her actions.

“I like Minnie better,” Arthur tells his husband with a frown when Merlin relays this information to him.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, darling?” Merlin asks of Grace as she stands from her dress-up box.

In place of a verbal answer, the three-year-old walks up to her father and hands him a plastic wand. And when Merlin raises an eyebrow at her, she raises one back. Or, well, she tries, but she’s still working on her intimidating stares, but she is getting very good very fast.


	8. Friday January 8th, 2021

Arthur has Grace and Jasmine set up in the living room attached to the kitchen with a small collection of toys to play with as he cooks dinner. Merlin was half helping him, half watching the kids, but then his mother had called asking if he still had something or other still lying around. It is the end of what feels like a long week, so dinner is nothing too special or difficult, but it was still nice to have his husband for company and to generally have him close in his vicinity.

Their time off from work for the holidays in December had been nice- not to mention that their anniversary is always a wonderful time for Merlin and Arthur, especially since they both always have off from work- since they had all those days to spend constantly together and with their girls, which made it all that much more difficult to have to separate in the day for work. Being at home afterward and before in the nights and mornings are small blessings for this small family of four.

 

One of the things Arthur missed most was their daily challenge of trying to get Jasmine to crawl more each day. They still do this, of course, but now there is less time for Merlin and Arthur to do so. At least their older daughter had taken it upon herself to fill their positions by trying extra hard to get Jasmine to move around during the day when they are with whoever it is that is babysitting them for that day. However, the one thing little Gracy can't do during the day- at least not by herself- that her fathers can, is to encourage Jasmine to start attempting to stand on her own. As their littlest girl is developing at quick a speed- too quick of a speed, in their longing opinion- the couple has been nothing short of excited and entirely encouraging of her advances. And goddamnit, but their baby was so close to pulling herself up into a supported but unassisted standing position!

Sighing, Arthur looks down at the food on the counter before him and wonders what vegetable might go best with the meal and that he and Merlin might actually manage to have Grace give a try at the very least. However, just as Arthur is about to turn to check the freezer, he feels a tug at his jean-clad leg. 

When he looks down, the last thing he expects to find is his blonde haired, seven-month-old daughter attempting to pull herself up using her father’s leg.

“Merlin.”

It comes out hoarse and far too quiet, so he tries again.

“Merlin!”

Jasmine looks up at the sound of her father’s voice and Arthur freezes, thinking he’s just ruined everything, but then Jasmine makes a small sound and goes back to her quest.

At the sound of a gasp, Arthur looks up to see Grace gaping at her sister. It takes her a second before she looks away to catch her Papa’s eye. He smiles encouragingly as he tasks her with dragging her Dad into the room.

Arthur watches as she scurries off towards the hall, only to see her backtrack hardly a second before leaving his view. Apparently, Merlin had already been on his way to them.

“What’s going o- oh!” 

Like Grace had done only moments before him, Merlin stands in the kitchen with his mouth hanging wide open while he stares at Jasmine.

A small grunt has Arthur staring down, too, and not a moment too soon, for as soon as Arthur claps his eyes on his smallest daughter, she looks up at him as she finally manages to pull herself up to stand with the support of her Papa’s leg.

“Oh, baby girl,” Merlin cries out quietly and Arthur can’t help but laugh wetly.


	9. Saturday January 9th, 2021

One of the best things about Saturdays is that if Arthur and Merlin have had a long week, they can curl up in their bed with their two daughters and take their midday nap with them.


	10. Sunday January 10th, 2021

For today’s brunch get together, everyone is gathered at Morgana and Leon’s house. However, the actual brunch part of brunch is now over and the children, newly filled with energy, have expressed their shared interest of playing in the snow covering the back garden. With all of the adults mutually agreeing that it would be nice to have the kids tired out by the time naptime hits- aside from Jasmine, who looks like her satisfyingly filled stomach is about to put her down to sleep any minute now- the adults take to bundling their children up in their snowsuits and winter coats.

“Papa!” comes Grace’s muffled shout of contrition when her head gets stuck in her sweatshirt.

“Sorry, baby,” Arthur mutters distractedly, trying to figure out where he went wrong.

“Oi.” Merlin taps his shoulder from behind him with the free hand he isn’t using to hold a yawning Jasmine. “I think you’ve lost our girl.”

“What?!” Grace squeaks, squirming in a bit of a panic until eventually both she and Arthur give the sweatshirt a firm tug and out pops Grace’s head, her hair a mess, cheeks red, and little lips opened in a desperate pant.

“Oh, no, there she is,” Merlin cheers brightly, running a hand through their almost three-year-old daughter’s tangled locks.

Grace leans forward, grabbing onto Arthur’s shirt collar. Desperately, she warns him, “Don’t lose me!”

Rubbing soothing hands up and down his little girl’s back, Arthur looks her in the eyes and assures her seriously, “I will not lose you.”

Seconds pass and Grace stares down her father, seemingly searching for something in his eyes, but finally pulling back with a nod. She then turns her gaze onto her slightly taller father, waiting for Merlin to give her his own nod. As soon as he does, Grace breathes out a sigh of relief, every ounce of tension gratefully leaving her small body at once. Satisfied for now, she goes back to preparing for the snow by pulling her black beanie out of her coat pocket on the ground and putting it on her head without a single disregard for her mess of hair.

Arthur feels a little lost, even with his husband’s hand on his shoulder to help ground him. But then, Grace hands Arthur her coat with a big, toothy grin and asks, “Help, please, Papa.”


	11. Monday January 11th, 2021

“Da?” If the yawn and rubbing of her eyes aren't proof enough that Gracey is tired, the brief shortening of her call to her father would have been a definite tell-tale sign.

"Yeah, baby,” Merlin shushes her. “We’re home.” 

A sleepy hum is Grace’s only reply. Merlin assumes she is going back to sleep, so he slowly goes about continuing to unbuckle his daughter from her car seat. Seatbelt undone, Merlin is careful when lifting Grace into his arm before closing the car door quietly and bending slightly towards the garage floor to pick up Jasmine’s baby car seat set, in which said baby sleeps in peacefully.

It’s admittedly a bit of a challenge to get the door to the house open, but despite Arthur offering to go pick up their daughters with Merlin after work, Merlin had declined, really not minding. He liked being able to take care of his girls like this- liked that when they grew up, Merlin would still have these memories with him. And when he and Arthur turn old and grey, Merlin would still have the memories of Arthur witnessing Merlin carrying their daughters and the blond would smile fondly and say, “There’s my strong, handsome husband.”


	12. Tuesday January 12th, 2021

After Merlin shuts the door to Grace’s bedroom, Arthur breathes quietly, “Sometimes, I still can’t believe they’re really ours.” 

Meeting his husband’s eye, Merlin moves close into Arthur’s space and places one hand on his husband’s hip, the other on his cheek, thumb rubbing at the corner of his mouth. His gaze lowers to the blond’s lips and the slightly shorter man follows Merlin’s lead. Knocking their foreheads together and swallowing thickly around a sudden lump in his throat, Merlin opens his mouth, but it takes him a few seconds before any words come out.

“I’m so happy we have all of this, have them.” Merlin brushes Arthur’s nose with his own. “Have each other.”

Arthur presses his nose firmly against Merlin’s until the latter’s eyes slip shut and then Arthur kisses him.

Pulling back, he whispers, “Let’s go to bed.”


	13. Wednesday January 13th, 2021

The heating in the Emrys-Pendragon household goes a little haywire in the day, bringing upon an unpleasant surprise for its occupants when they come home in the late afternoon. Though it takes a few phone calls, one thorough investigation, and a great deal of time, eventually they get matters all sorted. However, it takes longer than anyone likes for the house to warm back up. But, to combat this, Merlin and Arthur enlist Grace’s help to build a blanket fort in the living room, the warmest room in the house because of the window placement that allowed for the most sunlight and warmth to seep in throughout the day.


	14. Thursday January 14th, 2021

In preparation for tonight’s heavy snowfall, the Emrys-Pendragon family loads up on milk and bread. However, with their fridge being untidy and filled with old leftovers, Merlin and Arthur have to unload their fridge, clean it out, and then reload and organize. It’s a nice end result, a refreshing one, even, but the beginning and middle before the end is a pain, especially when Arthur accidentally knocks a jam jar over, which shatters and creates a mess. Grimacing the whole while, Arthur deconstructs the inside of the refrigerator, giving the pieces to Merlin to clean while Arthur cleans the inside of the fridge itself.

About halfway through, despite having had his head inside the cold fridge Arthur has worked up a bit of a sweat. Looking around the kitchen, he considers grabbing a drink, but that would require cleaning his hands. He can’t use the sink and he can’t ask Merlin for help because Merlin is currently preoccupied with the sink.

Sighing, he continues to look around.

“Whatcha doin', Papa?”

When he turns towards the voice, he spots Grace sitting at the breakfast bar with a juice box.

“Can I have a sip of your juice, baby, please?”

Without even questioning him, Grace leans across the bar, one arm on the marble table for balance, and the other outstretched towards her father, brandishing the juice box at him.

“Say, ‘thank you,’” Merlin teases from the sink. While Grace has been raised to be very polite, sometimes she forgets herself. She doesn’t much like her fathers having to remind her, so she’s made a game of it to remind her parents of the same. In turn, Merlin and Arthur have made a game of it, as well, calling out each other, and not just their daughter.

Gwen and Leon and Percival think little Jasmine is going to be doomed when she finally learns to speak.


	15. Friday January 15th, 2021

It is a Friday night and despite most of the snow outside having already melted, it is still cold outside. This cold following the small family into their home, even with the heat on keeping the house warm.

To bring heat back to their bodies, Merlin makes hot cocoa on with stove with milk and cocoa powder for Grace, Arthur, and himself. Little baby Jasmine is allowed to enjoy a bottle of warm milk, which she sucks down greedily.

“What game do you want to play tonight, Lu?” Arthur asks of Grace later on after dinner is cleaned up and another round of earlier’s hot cocoa is being debated.

“Hmm…” 

Grace hums to herself as she thinks, scrunching up her nose and cocking her head tom the side.

“Shadow puppets,” she decides with a nod of finality.

Twenty or so minutes later, this is how the little Emrys-Pendragon family ends up with almost of their lights off in their living room, everyone huddled together on the floor. The two fathers and their eldest daughter take turns between snacking on popcorn and casting shadow puppets, all three contributing to the storylines made up for each and every shadow. Although Jasmine doesn’t quite understand what’s going on, she seems to be enjoying herself, laughing when her family laughs and making loud, happy noises when they get particularly excited over something.

All in all, not too bad of a way to end the week.


	16. Saturday January 16th, 2021

On Saturday, while Jasmine takes an extra long nap and Grace wakes up a little early from her own, the older girl and her fathers make banana bread.

“Can I help, daddy? Please, please!” Grace begs from where she sits on top of the kitchen counters.

Merlin looks up from his measuring cups and casts hs eyes at the ingredients laid out before him. At the sound of the pantry door closing, he looks over his shoulder to find Arthur with his hands occupied by a small selection of nuts and chocolates.

Nodding at the bags as Arthur sets them on the counter in front of Grace, Merlin offers, “How about you pick out what else we put in the bread? One kind of nut and one kind of chocolate. That sound good?”

Grace’s answer comes in the form of her enthusiastically grabbing at the bag of milk chocolate chips.

Knowing how much of a menace their oldest child is when it comes to chocolate, Arthur wonders if he can convince his husband to add more nuts than chocolate. But, knowing his husband’s own affinity for chocolate, Arthur knows it would be a pointless request. At the very least, maybe Arthur can keep them from snacking on just the chocolate alone as they wait on the banana bread.


	17. Sunday January 17th, 2021

As per their not-quite-normal brunch hosting, Gwaine and Percival have created yet another odd theme.

“Brunch foods pizza,” Arthur states blankly.

Gwaine only smirks in response.

“Can I have maple syrup?”Grace asks politely, but her wide, bright eyes belie her excitement.

Merlin, ridiculous as he is, honest to god gasps, “French toast pizza!” before running off towards the kitchen, Grace cheering him on from her place on his hip.

Watching his husband go, Arthur muses aloud, “I married that..”

“I can hear you,” Merlin loudly sing-songs from across the house.

Gwaine swings an arm around Arthur’s shoulders and leads him to the kitchen.

“Act above us all you want, Emrys-Pendragon, but we all know how much you love pizza and breakfast sausages.”


	18. Monday January 18th, 2021

Arthur, feeling a little ill after a lack of sleep and a long day, finds himself being babied by Grace, who goes as far as to make requests for Merlin to help her make tea and help her force Arthur to lay down on the couch so Grace can cover him in her favorite blanket, tucking him in.


	19. Tuesday January 19th, 2021

Arthur breaks out the old video camera when, taking advantage of Jasmine’s recent determination to stand with support as often as she can, Grace holds on tight to her little sister’s hands and slowly attempts to dance her around the living room to some of Merlin's favorite childhood tunes.


	20. Wednesday January 20th, 2021

As much as he would like to deny it, it appears that Arthur is still a bit under the weather, is as evident to Merlin when Arthur hints at having a fuzzy headed migraine. Though he does protest, eventually he lets Merlin convince him to stay home. However, he only agrees once Grace announces to Merlin that she will take care of her Papa. Merlin is hesitant to allow it, but soon comes to the conclusion that having the kids at home makes Arthur feel productive, and if he isn't feeling productive while home alone, he will most certainly go into work so that he can be productive- or, at least as productive as he can with his mind being as addled as it is today.

Merlin, of course, trusts his husband to take care of their children, but he's hoping the trust he has put into their eldest daughter to "take care" of Arthur isn't misplaced. But as it turns out, he might not have given their girl enough credit.

When Merlin arrives home, he immediately chases after the faint sounds coming from the living room, expecting to find Arthur doing something with the kids. Instead, Arthur is asleep on the couch, noise canceling earphones over his ears (though not plugged into anything as far as Merlin can tell), and Jasmine also asleep on his chest, one little fist curled up into her Papa's shirt and the other clinging to the arm securely wrapped around her. And there, on the floor, leaning against the couch, is little Gracy, not once taking her eyes off the telly (though Merlin can't really fault her for that since Aladdin is one of their favorites) as she pats the pillow beside her and authoritatively whispers, "Daddy! Come and sit quiet!" And now he is completely positive that Arthur's headphones are most definitely not plugged into anything and that Grace must have put them on him once he had fallen asleep so she could quietly watch her movie without waking him.


	21. Thursday January 21st, 2021

With an earlier than usual start to the morning thanks to Jasmine waking and fussing before the sun, Merlin and Arthur are dead exhausted. Sun finally starting to show itself, baby calmed, and Merlin needing a wake-up, he puts on the kettle and starts on a quick, easy thing of scrambled eggs. He’s caught off mid-yawn by a gasp when Arthur wraps his arms around the slighter man’s waist, tucking their bodies close in together. Though he hasn’t turned to look, Merlin is fairly sure that Arthur has his eyes closed and is starting to doze off on his shoulder.

A few minutes later, eggs seconds from being done, Merlin is swayed forward and then back. At first, he assumes Arthur has momentarily fallen asleep only to jolt right back up. But when Arthur mumbles, “Mornin’, Lu,” and is answered by a weak but high pitched hum, Merlin comes to realize that Grace must have woken and followed her Papa’s example of wrapping himself around Merlin by wrapping herself around Arthur’s legs.


	22. Friday January 22nd, 2021

A broken doorknob leads to a minor argument between Merlin and Arthur, only broken off by Grace whining, “Minnie doesn’t like this!” And indeed, once they’be finally stopped bickering, the two fathers can hear their youngest child grumbling.

Frowning over their own shame, the pair rush over to their baby, Merlin taking a second to scoop Grace up into his arms on the way.

“We’re sorry, babies,” Arthur and Merlin soothe their children. “We’re sorry.”


	23. Saturday January 23rd, 2021

To make up for upsetting their girls over their argument yesterday, Arthur and Merlin have an extra long morning cuddle in their bed with both Grace and Jasmine. Merlin has Jasmine propped up on his chest, playing little finger games with her, both Grace and Arthur watching them from beside them. Grace is laid out between her fathers, sandwiched between them, cradling Foxy to her.

“Papa.”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Foxy’s got eye boogies,” Grace complains.

Turning his gaze on his oldest daughter and their cat, Arthur comments, “You’ve got eye boogies, too.” Then reaching out, he gently cleans the corners of both Grace’s and Foxy’s eyes of ‘eye boogies.’


	24. Sunday January 24th, 2021

Brunch day is also an icy, snowy day, much to Merlin’s displeasure; something he does not keep quiet about.

“It’s okay, Daddy,” Grace informs him when they pull into Gwen and Lance’s driveway. “I’ll hold your hand.” And she does hold his hand for the entire ten or so steps to the front door, the both of them studiously ignoring Arthur’s attempts to hold back his laughter.


	25. Monday January 25th, 2021

Today, Grace decides that she is ready for her first ever haircut. As a rule, Arthur and Merlin agreed early on that they would never force any specific appearances on their children (unless wildly inappropriate, of course), including hairstyles. For, the two years she has been on this Earth, she has not once wanted to have her hair cut, claiming that she was waiting. Apparently today she has finally found what she was looking for. However, she refuses to reveal what look she wishes to go for, which only intrigues her fathers more. In fact, Merlin and Arthur are so anxiously curious to know that they both rush out of work early to pick up the girls and bring them to the hairdressers. Though they think that they are clever, as it turns out, their oldest daughter is cleverer, for while she does allow her fathers to watch as her hair is cut, Grace only lets the hairdresser know what she wants. It is because of this that the Emrys-Pendragon men find themselves shocked once again when they see all the hair gathered on the floor; enough to make a nice winter coat for Foxy.

At the end of the appointment, Grace’s fathers can hardly recognize their little girl who spent two years growing out her dark locks into a long, messy, practical lion’s mane, only to somewhat impulsively have it all chopped to a short, wavy bob cut curling up to mouth level, topped off with a thin veil of bangs over her forehead stopping just above her eyebrows.

“She is definitely your daughter,” Arthur whispers to Merlin in awe, never once taking his eyes off Grace.

“With the wild, sudden hair experiments and secrecy until the last minute, yeah,” Merlin agrees before countering, “but the impulsivity and two yearlong indecision is all you.”

Arthur pauses for a moment before admitting softly, “She’s beautiful like you, though.”


	26. Tuesday January 26th, 2021

Her teeth growing in, Jasmine spends the early hours of the morning awake and fussy. She wakes her fathers, but not her sister. Because of this, Grace keeps to her normal napping and nightly sleep schedules, whereas Jasmine takes an extra long night, resulting in her keeping Merlin and Arthur up half the night.

“Couldn’t this have happened on a Friday?”

“This Friday is date night, someone else would have the babies.”

“Exactly.”


	27. Wednesday January 27th, 2021

Ever since Jasmine learned to stand by pulling herself up, the little babe has made it her own personal quest to pull herself up by using any and every single possible thing she can. But, as they say, what goes up, must come down. Unfortunately for Jasmine, most of her going down time is result of her losing her balance and falling. The first few times, her shock and confusion led to crying, which weakened her father's hearts as they rushed to comfort her every time. However, eventually the seven-month-old grew used to her falling, and after a few grumbly moments of frustration, she would pick herself back up again, sometimes clinging to Grace or letting her big sister cling onto her for support.


	28. Thursday January 28th, 2021

"Baby."

"Mm."

"Baby, look. You can see Minnie's teeth grown in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. Being back to college is stressful and tiring, as well as having to be excessively cleaning out the house for the week-long guests we'll be hosting next month. I'll try to get back to longer and posted on time chapters!


	29. Friday January 29th, 2021

Tonight is Merlin and Arthur’s first date night of the year. Throughout the years, they have kept up their last Friday of the night date night, a tradition they just cannot make themselves grow out of. Unfortunately, the date is cut a little short by another first of the year: Arthur getting a bloody nose.


	30. Saturday January 30th, 2021

Today, the Emrys-Pendragon family goes shopping for children friendly art supplies, as per request of Grace. Grocery cart parked beside a painting of a cat in a local craft store, Arthur helps Grace pick out some paint colors while Merlin readjusts Jasmine’s shoes, which she has been trying to kick off. Shoes finally put back to rights, Merlin looks up to give his daughter a playfully exasperated sigh, only to release an entirely different sound when he comes face to face with a bit of a surprise.

Snapping his head up at the sound of his husband giving a shouting laugh, Arthur turns to see what has caused such a reaction. The first thing he sees is the cat painting and he thinks for a brief moment that it looks a bit like Foxy. Thinking this must be what Merlin is laughing at, Arthur looks to him to make a witty remark, only to find Merlin looking at their littlest girl, sat up in the baby seat of the grocery cart. It takes him a second, but finally, he realizes what Merlin is laughing at.

Foxy, cute cat as he is, has the occasional tendency to fall asleep with his tongue out. Apparently, this little habit has not gone unnoticed by Innie Minnie Jasmine, for she is sat before the cat painting with her tongue peeking out of her closed mouth, her head tipped back and eyes closed, much like their pet.


	31. Sunday January 31st, 2021

Today’s brunch is hosted at the Emrys-Pendragon household because it is due to snow from late morning until late into the night and everyone knows better than to let Merlin out onto the roads while it snows that much.

Merlin huffs when he reads the group chat texts, where his and Arthur’s friends decided together, without waiting for confirmation from Merlin and Arthur, that they would hold brunch. He wouldn’t mind going to someone else’s, he would just make Arthur drive, which is exactly what he texts the group. Though he hates to admit it, Merlin is impressed by how quickly his phone is bombarded with vibrations from the constant stream of messages from his friends and husband in the chat, all listing different occasions when any of them been out in the snow with Merlin and each and every one of them have come close to leaving Merlin to freeze to death because of his excessive complaining, screaming, and/or clinging onto those around him.


	32. Monday February 1st, 2021

While Grace can be one to easily sulk and brood, it is very rare for her to cry tears of anything other than joy. Arthur and Merlin have heard countless times that kids are practically indestructible, and they have seen their little girl trip and land face first on concrete and get back up only seconds later, continuing to walk off as nothing had happened. Still, it always comes as a surprise to her fathers every time Grace does manage to get hurt and hardly show any sign of being bothered by her injuries. And so, when Merlin is woken in the morning to the sight of his oldest daughter standing by his bedside, first aid kit silently held out towards her dad and a slight trickling of blood seeping from a small cut on her head – that Merlin later finds out was caused by Grace falling out of her bed in her tiredness and accidentally bonking her head against the corner of her bedside table – his first instinct is to pull his baby girl in close and then wake Arthur so he can help him wrap their little girl up entirely in wool and bubble wrap.


	33. Tuesday February 2nd, 2021

"It's been a while since you've given me flowers," Merlin inquires, but his gaze is soft and he's biting his lower lip in an obvious attempt to hold back the full extent of his smile.

"I had a meeting with a client today and all I could think of was you; she was wearing this scarf with painted blue orchids printed on it," Arthur tells his husband truthfully, knowing the flower is one of Merlin's favorites. It had admittedly been a bit of a disappointment when he couldn't find one to bring home to Merlin, but he likes the arrangement he's made. If the gentle way Merlin stroke a single fingertip along the petals of one of the roses is anything to go by, Arthur is entirely confident that his love likes them, too.


	34. Wednesday February 3rd, 2021

Merlin wakes in the middle of the night, feeling cold and a little uneasy. Rolling over to curl up against his husband, he quickly realizes why.

Having an important meeting coming up, Arthur found himself overloaded with stress and work. Though he tried not to bring the stress home with him while he was around the girls, that didn't stop him from bringing home the work. But he still tried to separate his work life and home life; coming home at his usual time, if not a half hour late, helping with and being entirely engaged over dinner and the cleanup, and never missing his and Merlin's joined nightly routine of putting their daughters to bed. And then there was always the struggle of trying to get as much done before going to bed themselves, with Arthur working while Merlin showered, and hoping to be done and lying in his husband's arms as soon as he returned to their bed.

Tonight, however, Arthur needed to finish his work. So, when Merlin turned off the lamp on his bedside table, Arthur had decided to cart his work off to his study, despite Merlin's attempts to reassure him that he really didn't mind Arthur working in bed. Arthur only shook his head, pressing quick, but gentle kisses to Merlin's lips, nose, and forehead as he reminded Merlin that he knows he prefers to sleep in absolute darkness.

Merlin had hoped that Arthur would be back right before he fell asleep, but knew that it wasn't very likely. 

He sighs now, trying to will his husband back to their bed by silently wishing very hard. After about a minute, when this doesn't seem to work, Merlin rolls himself out of bed, heading off to Arthur's study, figuring he might as well check on his husband's progress.

When he gets to the study, he finds Arthur with his face down on his desk.

"Arthur?" he whispers quietly, trying to see if he might be awake.

As luck would have it- or perhaps misfortune in Arthur's case- he is.

"Baby," Arthur moans pitifully. "'M so tired."

His heart aching at the quiet admission, Merlin determinedly gets Arthur to his feet, the pair of them each wrapping one arm around the other's waist.

"C'mon." He kisses Arthur's head as it drops onto Merlin's shoulder. "Let's get you to bed."

A soft sound coming from high in Arthur's throat, and his free arm wrapping its way around Merlin so he has him completed held in his embrace, are the only signs Merlin receive from Arthur to indicate that he understands and approves of this plan.


	35. Thursday February 4th, 2021

After picking the girls up once his work day has ended, Merlin takes Grace and Jasmine with him to go pick up cat food. Usually, whenever Merlin or Arthur brings either Grace alone or both Grace and Jasmine in with them, they put the latter in the safety children seat of a cart and the former into the actual shopping cart. But for the first time, this does not happen.

Apparently their usual pet store has changed since the last time they went, though not by much. The main thing - the only thing, really - that actually affects the little Emrys-Pendragon family is the addition of double-seated carts added to the mix of single-seaters. Upon noticing this, Grace gasps and stares wide-eyed in awe. Rather quickly, the look turns into something more contemplated, something more wicked.

Closing her mouth, but still baring her teeth, Grace turns a bright, toothy smile onto her father. She doesn't say a thing, just continues to grin up at Merlin and twists her hips back and forth slowly but dramatically to get her dress to sway over her thick leggings. Her hands are stuffed into the pockets of her coat and her head is tipped back at just the right angle to get her longer hair to fall back while bangs stay perfectly in place fluffed up against her forehead. Grace and being overly cute and she knows it. Worse than that, she knows it's working, that her dad will give in, and that she's going to get what she wants.

Sighing, Merlin shakes his head at her very much like Arthur their oldest girl is.

"Oh, alright," he bemoans in an over exaggerated fashion while pulling the cart over to securely slip Jasmine into one of the seats.

Grace takes her hands out of her pocket to pump her fists in the air and triumphantly hisses, "Yes!"

Five minutes later, all the way across town, Arthur's phone vibrates with a text from Merlin containing a picture of Jasmine and Grace sitting side by side in the children seat of a grocery cart, Jasmine looking her typically happy self, and Grace looking far too smug from a little one her age.


	36. Friday February 5th, 2021

With a headache building, Merlin really wants to stay in bed, but with Arthur being so busy this week, he and Merlin had promised Grace a movie night. He decides to try to stick through as much as he can handle and perhaps sneak off early to bed, except Arthur notices Merlin’s symptoms and spots the issue fairly quick.

“How about me and you have a special Gracey and Papa only movie night, baby?” Arthur asks their daughter.


	37. Saturday February 6th, 2021

At a quarter to two in the morning, Merlin's sickness has become progressively worse, much to Arthur's concern. But to everyone's concern, it turns out that Jasmine is sick, too. To remedy this, Arthur spends the day taking care of them, with little Gracey helping out as his assistant.


	38. Sunday February 7th, 2021

Feeling better, but still tired and down, the Emrys-Pendragon family decide to skip out of brunch early. Having told their plan, Merlin and Arthur are surprised but grateful when Gwen and Lance make soup the main meal of brunch.


	39. Monday February 8th, 2021

Jasmine is rather grumbly today, babbling nonsense sounds more than usual.

"Maybe she's trying to figure out her first real word?"


	40. Tuesday February 9th, 2021

Snowed in, the white blanket from the sky falls at a rapid pace, growing faster than Jasmine and taller than Grace. Occasionally, thunder will clap around the house outside. Merlin and Arthur have no choice but to stay home today, though they aren't exactly complaining when it allows them a few extra hours to sleep in and leisure time to make an outrageously thick pile of French toast for breakfast.


	41. Wednesday February 10th, 2021

On the drive to drop Grace and Jasmine off at Gaius and Alice's before Merlin and Arthur go to work, Grace witnesses her first car accident.

Though the snow yesterday had to expected, the road workers must not have been too prepared. Streets and highways were particular covered, causing slippery conditions and with the lines on hidden under the snow, cars were having trouble staying in their lanes.

The green car ahead of them seemed to be driving just fine one second and in the next it spinning around. Arthur pressed the breaks, causing them to screech. Even though they slipped a little, they managed to stay out of the other car's way. Somehow, the little car managed not to hit a single car as it spun across the lanes to one side of the highway. 

Arthur thinks he might have seen a child in the back of the car.

After the initial panic let up and they had driven far enough ahead that they could no longer see the vehicle, Merlin turned in his seat to check on the girls.

"Arthur. Arthur, I think we need to keep them home today."

Looking into the rear view mirror, he sees Grace wide-eyed, clutching onto Merlin's hand. Fortunately, Jasmine remained napping in her baby seat.

"Give Gaius a call and then call us out from work. I'll get off the next exit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry yesterday's update is so late, I've so tired and a bit sick.


	42. Thursday February 11th, 2021

Grace was doing better today. It took a great deal of coaxing and cuddling, but eventually she had gotten over the events from the day previous. Still, after her and Jasmine's bath tonight, Merlin and Arthur coddle her with an "everything but the kitchen sink" hot chocolate, where she could pick any and every ingredient she liked. She had asked her fathers to make their own first, so they did, Grace watching carefully from the table. 

Merlin always enjoys this game, as they tend to play it with many desserts. However, he is of the firm belief that hot chocolate should be chocoltely, which he promptly rectified by nicking a bit of every single chocolate subtance he could find.

While Arthur always enjoys their kitchen sink desserts, he is always very reluctant to play the game when it involved drinks. Mostly, he made them play it when they had ice cream, as Arthur would add just about every single sugary could find. But with hot chocolate, there were only so many things he was willing to try together. So, for tonight, he settles on salted caramel. And then, when Grace raises her eyebrows at him, he sighs and adds a mountain of whipped cream.

When it is finally Grace's turn, she asks for chocolate, caramel, whipped cream, and cherries.

Jasmine is given chocolate buscuits to nibble and drool on.


	43. Friday February 12th, 2021

Because Morgana and Leon are going away for the weekend as a wedding anniversary retreat, Merlin and Arthur are babysitting their five-year-old niece and nephew, Anissa and Bennett. Being the best uncles ever ("Yeah, okay." "Shut up, Morgana.") Merlin and Arthur take their girls and the five-year-old twins out to a kid-friendly dinner, after which, sugary, chocolatey desserts are absolutely devoured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha. I drank a little, it is late, I still have homeowkr to do, it's almost midnight, and I have to wake up at or before 6am ad drive several hours to and from New York and then attend my tai chi class. Haha, eventually I will write something longer.


	44. Saturday February 13th, 2021

With yet another snowy morning, and with the two adults of the house not feeling well, Arthur and Merlin decide to have a princess movie day in, much to the enjoyment of Grace, Anissa, and Bennett. Little Minnie, on the other hand, is just happy to see everyone else happy.


	45. Sunday February 14th, 2021

With Arthur and Merlin having already agreed to watch Morgana and Leon's kids for Valentine's Day, the rest of their friend groups ask them to watch their kids (they most definitely do not just dump them all off at the Emrys-Pendragon household, certainly not). This is fine with Merlin and Arthur, of course, as they have their own belated celebration plans at a later date when their friends can watch Grace and Jasmine. But, with it still being Sunday, all of the children that are old enough to understand its significance and that are able to speak request (demand) brunch. To make it fun, because, of course, they must make it fun, the children decide on the theme of princesses and princes- meaning that they all want something chocolatey and sickly sweet.


	46. Monday February 15th, 2021

What Merlin had thought was a brief cold hits him suddenly at full force, alongside Grace and Jasmine. How Arthur manages to be healthy is anyone's guess.


	47. Tuesday February 16th, 2021

Harsh coughing, first starting a bit dry and then sounding wet and raspy like someone might dry heave or spit up a whole thing of flem is what wakes Arthur before his alarm.

Blindly reaching out towards the other side of the bed, Arthur starts rubbing the first body part that comes into contact with his hand. When he realizes the shirt and firm muscle under his touch is shaking, he opens his eyes to find his palm on Merlin's shoulder blades. He starts slowly drawing his hand in wide, broad circles over the expanse of his partner's back.

"Baby?" he murmurs when he's sure the worst of the coughing is over.

"Not the baby," Merlin rasps with two more coughs.

"Wasn't talking about the baby."

Merlin sighs as he processes the words, leaning back carefully to press more firmly against Arthur's hand but not any other part of him, not wanting to get him sick.

"I hope the girls don't get it this bad," he whispers, voice barely there yet hoarse.


	48. Wednesday February 17th, 2021

"Are you alright?" Merlin asks, voice rough with harsh coughings and clearings. "You were gone longer than I thought you'd be."

"I got to stay an extra hour and a half. Another prisoner came up an hour late, and they didn't want to go through the process of shutting everything down twice in the span of only a few minutes just to get them both back in separately," Arthur explains of his extended trip to visit his uncle Agravaine in jail. It's something he does very rarely, only giving in over the guilt of his uncle being unwell with sickness and having been put in a higher security setting after defending himself in a fight just before the process of discussing possible means of release in the following months.

Merlin tries to hum in response, or maybe he's trying to clear his throat a bit more gently so as not to upset his pains further.

"How was it?"

Arthur relays his day to his husband, not really sure how to feel one way or another. 

"But he didn't look like he was dying like Gaius said he was the last time he saw him, so."

Arthur shrugs, finishing his rabmbling. Turning to get more comfortable on the couch, the blond observes his counterpart. Merlin is sat up with his side pressed against the backrest of the couch, his head tilted against the top with an entire side of his face smothered into the cushioning. In this position, Merlin only has one eye trained on Arthur, and though his gaze is soft, it also a bit cloudy with sickness, his eyelid drooping but determinedly fighting off the beckonings of sleep. His breathing is somewhat labored, as is evidenced by the whisper of forced effort whistling his nose and the slow, shallow movements of his chest.

"I would ask how you're feeling..." Arthur mutters softly, leavng his words to drift off in the space between them. Though Merlin is looking right at him, he may not be entirely there and processing everything Arthur says.

"Want chocolate. S'bad for this, though," Merlin mumbles more to himself in reminder and resignation than to Arthur.

Standing, Arthur doesn't exactly offer, "How about I make you some tea?" placing a careful kiss to the mess on waves on top of Merlin's head before heading off to the kitchen.

"Love you."

It comes out a bit croaked and is cut off immediately at the end by a coughing fit that makes Arthur double back to lay a blanket across his husband's curled up form.

"I love you, too. Now let's get you a bit more relaxed before the girls start to wake from their naps." 

And with that, Arthur finally makes it to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to get back on track time updating wise..


	49. Thursday February 18th, 2021

"Pa, pa, pa, pa, pa."

The weak chanting wakes Arthur.

"Lu," he grumbles.

"Don' think tha's Lu," comes the gruff reply from beside him, ending with a rough set of coughs.

Arthur follows his first instinct of rolling over and rubbing at Merlin's back.

"Pa, pa, pa."

The calling out jolts Arthur back into remembering what woke him in the first place. Surely it's just a sound that Jasmine has fixated on, right? A sound can't be her first word-

A high-pitched, broken, "Pa," crackling through the baby monitor snaps Arthur out of his reverie and has him jumping out of bed to rush to his baby girl.

Running on sudden adrenaline, Arthur forgets his previous struggle and rushes into Jasmine's room, flicking on the light, and stops short. As expected, Jasmine turned her attention to the door as soon as it opened, but what caught Arthur was when the lights came on and Jasmine's whole being seemed to brighten despite her mild cold.

"Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!" It's still weak because of the sickness, but Arthur can still make out Jasmine's enthusiasm as clear as day. It's not exactly Papa, but Jasmine knows the word, knows its association.

Jasmine's first word- sort of- and it's to call out for Arthur when she's feeling unwell at night.

If Arthur cries when he picks his daughter up, they are the only ones who have to know (and maybe Merlin if he can hear it through the baby monitor).

After changing her diaper and giving her some more baby illness liquids, Arthur carries her to his and Merlin's room. It is a work day, after all, but Arthur refuses to part with his little girl until he absolutely has to.


	50. Friday February 19th, 2021

Today Arthur learns why his father never let him and Morgana have a pet.

"Welcome home, Arthur, I was going to clean up, but I thought you might like to see in person what our daughter did today."

Grace has painted Foxy's white paws red.


	51. Saturday February 20th, 2021

With Merlin trying to fight off the worst of his cold, he is thankful for the time to lie in and laze about. Jasmine's own cold has dindled to the occasional runny nose, so at least that is a relief to Merlin and Arthur. Still, not wanting to push Merlin, Arthur takes it upon himself to play with the kids, but also, he wants to teach Jasmine to say "Papa" and not just a multitude of "Pa's."


	52. Sunday February 21st, 2021

Not wanting to spread their sicknesses to the others, especially the children, Merlin stays home from brunch with Jasmine. It's nice because they get to sleep in, but also, Merlin and Arthur get to spend some alone time separately with their daughters. When Arthur and Grace get home, the latter sings the former's praises while showing off her new books from the bookstore. While Arthur was pleased with the chance to be the spoiling father, his happiness doubles when he comes home to find Merlin bent double holding onto Jasmine's outstretched hands as he guides her to walk.


	53. Monday February 22nd, 2021

As it turns out, any time Minnie has that isn't spent sleeping or trying to eat more bananas is spent trying to lift herself up to stand. Perhaps she is trying to see which objects are best to grab onto for support. Whether that is the truth or not, her favorite way to stand is by pulling herself up using her fathers' legs are her support system.


	54. Tuesday February 23rd, 2021

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some smut, supposedly.

A hand pumping slowing up and down his cock, taking every pass of the head as an opportunity to tease it with the ghosting touch of finger tips, is what wakes Arthur warm and hard. Reaching out, he strokes his palm along Merlin's forearm to let his husband know that he is awake. In acknowledgement, Merlin releases his hold on Arthur's prick and fondles Arthur's balls instead.

Arthur is still sleepy, not yet ready to do more than quietly sigh and melt bonelessly under his lover's touch. He even attempts to brush a thumb over a nipple but that's as far as he gets before he gives up and gives in, submitting himself to Merlin, letting the brunet take care of him completely.

Since Merlin has been so sick, and since he still very much is, he and Arthur have not been too intimate. Sure, there have been light touches, the naturally instinctual and habitual cuddling, but Merlin refuses to kiss Arthur until he goes a full day without coughing. Apparently that rule only applies to kisses on the mouth, if the nips, kitten licks, and open mouthed presses of lips against the back of Arthur's neck, his ears, and as much of his shoulders as Merlin can reach are anything to go by. Arthur makes a mental note to try and remember when he's more awake to tell Merlin how much he has missed this.

The thing about being sick, though, is that while Merlin is also hard, he has little interest in doing anything about it. This is nothing unusual as Merlin's medications over the years have messed with his libido and ability to orgasm. Merlin and Arthur have great sex when they get off together, but some of Merlin's most favorite intimate couplings is when he is content enough with the small curl of arousal pooling in his stomach, or sometimes even lack thereof, that instead of taking care of himself, he takes all the passion he can't or just won't grant himself and instead dedicated, devotes, worships it upon Arthur. Sometimes Arthur still feels guilty when Merlin does such wonderful things to Arthur but refuses to do or let Arthur do anything to him. Over the years he has grown used to it, they both have, and while Arthur may feel bad about not returning Merlin's affects in kind, long ago he learned the hard way that unless Arthur truly is not in the mood, denying Merlin these moments to show Arthur all that he cannot say out of some misconception of sex having to be some sort of fair balance of an orgasm for an orgasm makes Merlin feel the guilty one. 

It has been years since they last had one of those fights and Arthur intends to never again have another, so when Arthur comes and reaches back to reciprocate his affections only to find his fingers intertwined with Merlin's and moved around until their resting fists lie against Arthur's heart, Arthur lifts their hands to kiss the back of Merlin's briefly, not saying a single word. Tilting his head back in offer to Merlin, who wastes no time in muzzling against his husband's slightly sweat dampened hair, he knows he doesn't have to; they understand, anyways.


	55. Wednesday February 24th, 2021

"Grace Delilah Emrys-Pendragon," Arthur calls out sternly. "What do you think you're doing?"

Grace jumps a little in shock, wide eyes moving quickly back and forth between the box of sweet potato crackers on the kitchen counter and her father. Even Foxy has tensed up before chancing a look behind him. And when Grace turns to look at Foxy, the cat seems to sense it as he swivels his head to look at her in return. As if a silent conversation is going on between the two, they stare each other down for a few moments before Grace takes one more look at the box, then sets her gaze firmly on her Papa.

"You know," she huffs and Arthur's mouth drops open.

"She sassed me! _Me!_ " he recounts later to Merlin.

Wonderful husband that he is, Merlin doesn't even look up from the book he's reading as he muses dryly, "Wonder where she learned that from."


	56. Thursday February 25th, 2021

Jasmine is still learning to only refer to Arthur as "Papa" and not a plethora of "Pa's." However, when Arthur makes cinnamon buns for dinner - because he feels like it, Merlin, not because he found that tin he forgot about at the back of the fridge that's been there almost too long, okay? - Arthur can't really blame here for her high pitched squeels.


	57. Friday February 26th, 2021

As today is the last Friday of the month, this means that tonight is Merlin and Arthur's date night. While Merlin is still unwell - "Go to the Doctor, Merlin!" "I've survived worse, love." - they are not going to miss the opportunity. 

As they missed Valentine's, Arthur has dinner and a show secretly planned, much to Merlin's surprised pleasure, which warms Arthur to his bubbling core. And then, there's Merlin's surprise for Arthur.

With his hand on Arthur's thigh, rubbing slow, broad circles in the knowledge that the darkness of the theatre keeps them safe from being seen, Merlin leans in to whisper, "I've convinced Morgana and Leon to keep the girls until tomorrow afternoon."


	58. Saturday February 27th, 2021

Being kid free for the morning means that Merlin and Arthur can sleep in. It also means that they can have rigorous bouts of sex in more places of the house than just their bedroom and home offices.


	59. Sunday February 28th, 2021

With Gaius' birthday coming up, and with him not wanting a big celebration, the gang has brunch in his honor. Though Gaius is specifically told not to make anything, not only because it is his birthday they are all celebrating, but also because they are gathering at his and Alice's home, Alice does bake the birthday cake, albeit with Hunith's help.

Still on a bit of a high from their date night and following morning, Merlin spends more time being cozy with Arthur than with his great uncle. Thankfully, being surrounded by all the "grandbabies" is more than enough of a distraction for Gaius to hardly even notice.


	60. Monday March 1st, 2021

On Monday, little Jasmine manages to take out every book on the lowest shelf of the living room book case and throw them on the ground. She also manages to pull herself up into a standing position using the couch cushion that Foxy is lounging on, this causing him to spook and scram when she excitedly screeches at him.

"I thought the general rule of thumb was that the second child is supposed to be easier," Arthur says.

"Was Grace this difficult? I don't think Grace was this difficult," Merlin wonders wildly.


	61. Tuesday March 2nd, 2021

"Papa! Papa! Papa! Papa!" 

Grace wakes Arthur early in the morning by jumping on him.

"Lu-"

"Papa, c'mon!"

Now seeing that her father is awake, Grace rolls off the bed and starts tugging Arthur's arm.

"Wha's happening?" Merlin slurs groggily from beside him.

"C'mon!" Grace slowly drags out each syllable.

"Alright, baby, alright."

Sighing, Arthur and Merlin make their way out of bed, Arthur being tugged along by Grace's hand on his wrist and Merlin being shuffled about by his free hand placed in Arthur's while his other covers his mouth over a yawn.

"Lu, where are we going?"

Instead of answering, Grace only pulls them along fast, causing Merlin to trip a bit, but thankfully Arthur catches him by the waist.

Finally, they stop before Jasmine's open bedroom door.

"Shh!" Grace whisper before letting go of Arthur's hands and making her way to stand behind her parents so that she can slowly push them into the room.

It doesn't take them long to figure out the reason their oldest daughter has brought them here when they hear the purring and turn to find that Foxy has somehow made his way into Jasmine's cot and is cuddled up to her as she pets him gently, just as her father's have taught her.


	62. Wednesday March 3rd, 2021

Merlin is sitting on the couch in the living room, Jasmine sat up in his lap with her hands on the book Merlin is reading to her when suddenly his vision is obscured, the whole world going black. A pair of lips on the back of his neck alerts him to who it is that has covered his eyes quicker than Jasmine's joyous cry of, "Papa!" And yes, she has finally learned that she need only to address him with two "pa's," much to Arthur's tearful pleasure.

"Guess what I've brought you," Arthur whispers into his ear.

"Hmm," Merlin pretends to contemplate. "Is it chocolate?"

"No."

"Then I don't really care," Merlin teases nonchalantly.

A nip to his ear has him squirm a bit and to his disappointment, the hands disappear from his eyes. However, Arthur soon rectifies this by presenting Merlin a bouquet of flowers. It has been a short while since they last had flowers and especially with the continuously fluctuating weather, Merlin has been growing nostalgic.

Soft eyed and hearted, Merlin quietly murmurs, "You're so wonderful."

Merlin expects Arthur to preen at the compliment and get a bit smug. Instead, he merely shrugs and places a kiss behind Merlin's ear before placing the flowers on the coffee table and making his way around the couch to sit beside Merlin, taking Jasmine from his lap. He nods to the book still in Merlin's hands in a silent gesture to get him to keep reading.


	63. Thursday March 4th, 2021

Arthur comes home from work to find his little family in the living room. There is music bursting through the surround sound, the coffee table pushed up against one wall so there is more room to move about, despite the living room being fairly huge. And then in the middle of it all is Merlin, swaying back and forth, moving to and fro with both of their little girls in his arms. Suddenly he starts twisting and spinning about, the girls letting out high pitched cries of joy and laughter. On one spin, they end up facing Arthur and instead of stopping, Merlin lifts his chin, hikes Grace and Jasmine up more firmly on his hips, and before the girls can so much as reach their arms out in offer to their lighter haired father, Merlin spins once more. Arthur takes just one more moment to admire the view before stepping forward and wrapping his arms over the girls and securing his hands behind Merlin's back.


	64. Friday March 5th, 2021

Tonight, when Merlin and Arthur get home with the girls, they get to work making banana bread. While Jasmine had been in a huge banana eating phase for a while, over the past week or so she has found interest in other things, causing a whole thing of bananas to turn brown.

Arthur is measuring all the dry ingredients while Merlin supervises Grace as she mashes the bananas. Jasmine is sat up on the breakfast bar between Merlins's spread forearms that lean against the table top.

When a tiny hand reaches into one side of the bowl, Grace moves on to mash more at the opposite side, not wanting to accidentally cause her little sister any harm. Figuring it is already too late, and at least she is once again finding interest in the healthy fruit, Merlin watches in a sort of morbid fascination as Jasmine opens her mouth as wide as it can stretch so she can smash her hand against her lips. Thankfully she manages to get more of the messy fruit into her mouth than onto her face. And yet, so somehow managed to get some in her hair.

"Oh, _now_ you want bananas," Merlin grumbles exasperatedly.


	65. Saturday March 6th, 2021

Though Merlin's mother is a baker, Merlin hadn't been one to bake in the past few years. Sure, as a child he loved to bake with his mother all the time, and when he attended uni he would bake up a storm whenever he was sorely stressed out. But between the time he graduated and just before he and Arthur decided to have children, Merlin's baking habits decreased almost entirely. Now that he and Arthur are fathers trying to instill healthy eating habits and positive hobbies, Merlin finds himself baking quite often. Hunith likes to say that he is passing on the family tradition of parents baking with their children; the warm feeling that exact gives him possibly has led him to bake even more. But with two children to watch after, one of which that can actually understand what her father is doing and tries to be active in helping and mimicking, Merlin tends to stray to the simpler recipes. And yet, he lets little Gracie add just about any special ingredients, or sometimes even more than one, into their treats.

"Mmm," Grace hums thoughtfully as she searches the spice cannot from atop Arthur's shoulders.

Her fathers know this is all for show as Grace still can't quite read yet, though she has been getting pretty good at spelling out people's names. However, she does know what the containers of her favorite spices look like.

Pointing at the top shelf, Grace tries to pronounce what she want. "Cinn- cinna- ahah- cinn-a-min-a-min-min-minnie."

"Cinnamon," Arthur tells her gently.

Quietly, the little girl tries to repeat the word back to herself. She doesn't quite get it, but she is already so far advanced in her vocabulary, that Arthur and Merlin as too worried yet about the occasional issue with bigger words.


	66. Sunday March 7th, 2021

Today's brunch is hosted in honor of Elyan's birthday. This means that the meal consists of fruity-based foods and potato-based foods. There are mostly pastries and fruit stuffed breads, tarts, and croissants.

"I thought she was over bananas," Leon nods at Jasmine whom is drooling all over a banana she has half mushed into her hair and high-chair.

"Apparently not." Arthur shrugs. "We tried to give her a strawberry, though, but she just wrinkled her nose at it before trying to reach out for the bananas in the fruit bowl." Because they have a fruit bowl now, something that is very much adult and very much a good way to encourage little Gracie to snack on healthy fruits rather than attempt to sneak some chocolate or biscuits when she's feeling a bit peckish.


	67. Monday March 8th, 2021

The thing about getting into the habit of reading heir children bedtime stories each and every night is that sometimes, Merlin and Arthur want a sort of bedtime story of their own. While they do have their casual and individual leisure reads, it has been a while since they shared a leisure read together. 

"Let's do something with spies," Merlin immediately not-exactly-suggests when Arthur brings the subject up one night.


	68. Tuesday March 9th, 2021

With snow due to cancel all plans for tomorrow, Merlin and Arthur move their and Grace's dentist appointments up to this afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these are short posts, but I'm trying to catch up..


	69. Wednesday March 10th, 2021

As predicted, the snow keeps the Emrys-Pendragon family inside today. Jasmine busies herself with practicing standing with the support of anything and everything she can manage to use to help pull herself up. Mostly, she tried to lift herself to come face-to-face on any short surface Foxy takes to resting upon, much to the cat's displeasure. Arthur, armed with loads of tea and tissues, watches her carefully from his place curled up on the couch, trying his damndest to will his cold away. As for Merlin and Grace, the latter snuck into the former's old family recipes, and now the two of them are sifting through them, trying to decide on something to make.


	70. Thursday March 11th, 2021

Jasmine has a hissy fit when she should be going to bed because her newly grown in teeth are bothering her.

"You go to bed," Merlin sighs. "It's my turn to take her, Arthur."

"We can get her down together," Arthur says, not budging an inch.

They try toys and stories, songs and soft stuffed animals. They try fluffy blankets and a half bottle of milk. They try teething ring after teething ring and pacifier after pacifier, but nothing seems to pacify her. And then, just as Merlin and Arthur are about to give up hope, a blear eyed Grace walks in, favorite blanket in tow, and climbs the little step stool ladder her fathers leave beside Jasmine's cradle for Grace to better see her sister from.

"Lu..." Merlin trails off, unsure of what's happening.

"In," Grace mutters, pointing into the crib to make sure her point gets across.

Sharing one fleeting, confused look with Arthur, Merlin does as Grace requests and lifts her into the cot. Immediately, the little girl lies down next to her now quietly whimperingsister, lying her favorite blanket across the both of them before seemingly drifting back to sleep.

Too stunned to do or say anything, Merlin and Arthur watch as Jasmine slowly but surely quiets down entire before she, too, succumbs to sleep.


	71. Friday March 12th, 2021

"Da..."

Merlin stops reading aloud from the children's book in front of him to look down at the little girl in his lap.

"Hmm?" he inquired somewhat absentmindedly. "What is it, little one?"

A smack to his chest forces him to become more alert. 

"Da."

Sharply inhaling through his nose, Merlin tries not to choke on his own breath. Arthur is out picking up pizza for dinner, a request made by Grace and agreed upon easily by her tired fathers. That exact same daughter is out with Merlin's husband now, having left Merlin to enjoy some alone time with their other baby.

"Oh, Min," Merlin coos in a soft whisper. "Your Papa's never gonna believe this."


	72. Saturday March 13th, 2021

Today, Morgana and Leon's adopted children, Anissa and Beckett, turn six. Though one woukd easily think that the two are twins, what with the shared birthday and the same piercing green eyes and strawberry blonde hair, they are not even related. They just happened to grow up in the same foster care system and have the same birthday. And as soon as Morgana and Leon found this out before even meeting the pair, after they had decided to adopt what with the discovery of Morgana's overly powerful uterus and Leon's rather weak sperm not being compatible, they knew there was no way that if they were to adopt them, that they could ever separate them. Thankful to whatever duiety was watching over them, the four of them got lucky.

"Birthday!" Grace squeels at them as she runs across the Knight household to push her cousins down into a celebratory and loving huddle.

The giggling from the three of them gets cut off by groans and then more giggles when the rest of their little friends carefully yet carelessly join the pile up. When the last child has climbed on, Arthur Swoops in to lie Jasmine on the very top, much to her squeeing joy.

"Oh, I've got to take a picture of this!" Merlin cheers, moving around the pile with a camera slung around his neck.


	73. Sunday March 14th, 2021

A blizzard keeps the Emrys-Pendragon family inside for the entire day.


	74. Monday March 15th, 2021

Being at the tail end of the blizzard, the little family is stuck inside once more. Merlin fathers everyone to help him make muffins, and Arthur puts on the kettle for tea, the fireplace for warmth, and the telly for movie watching.


	75. Tuesday March 16th, 2021

When Arthur fails to notice his nose bleeding, it is, to Merlin's amusement, up to Grace - in her own opinion, of course - to silently shove a bunched up tissue up her Papa's nostril and then walk away as if nothing had happened.


	76. Wednesday March 17th, 2021

Tonight has Merlin and Arthur both cleaning up and making more of a mess of boxes that Grace has laid out ahead the living room for Foxy to sit in. As an avid lover of sitting in boxes, the Emrys-Pendragon household is full of many with at least two per room, including at least one per bedroom and bathroom. Apparently Grace believes they need to step up their game.


	77. Thursday March 18th, 2021

Arthur takes it upon himself to make dinner tonight when Grace politely - "She used the puppy eyes, didn't she?" "Leave me be, Merlin, I'm busy cooking here." - requests macaroni and cheese made from scratch. Usually, this is Merlin's specialty, and then though Arthur cooks often, he feels as though he does not cook often enough, which has resulted in him trying to take on some of the more common household dishes.


	78. Friday March 19th, 2021

A mishap with the laundry almost leads to Grace learning her first swear word.


	79. Saturday March 20th, 2021

With the weather finally starting to get nice again, Merlin and Arthur decide to bundle the kids up and take them to a nearby park.


	80. Sunday March 21st, 2021

Brunch today is gathered at a restuarant. It has been a while since the whole gang has gathered there, but no one feels like cooking. They get their own large horseshoe shaped table in it's only private little alcove and the adults can sit along the walls and have their meals on the bar in front of them. In the opening of the horseshoe table in a much smaller, lower square table for the children to sit at; a kids table. Little Jasmine, however, is placed in a high chair that is not quite that high, perched at the end of the horseshoe table, but tucked in close in its own spot amongst the kids table.


	81. Monday March 22nd, 2021

"January, February, Maaarch, April..."

Merlin pauses in his singing to test Grace's memory.

"May!" Grace crows joyfully.

"Good job, Lu. Do you remember what comes next?"

"My birthday!"

Merlin laughs.

"Yes, but what month?"

"June," Grace says wisely.


	82. Tuesday March 23rd, 2021

"And now," Merlin announces sagely to the room at large, "the ultimate test."

Inching forward to sit on the edge of his seat, Merlin places a small lemon slice on the tray of Minnie's high chair before pulling back to lean his elbows on his knees. Pateitntly, he keeps watch of her every move with keen interest.

From her place stood behind him on his chair, Grace leans forwards to get a better view. Her arms go around her father's neck and his chin rests on his shoulder.

"Video on?" Merlin asks, eyes still on his daughter.

"Been rolling," mumbles Arthur, somewhat distracted by his anticipation.

Jasmine, quiet in her high chair, observes the lemon slice in her hand for a time before finally opening her mouth and unsuspectingly bringing the sour fruit closer to her lips.

As it turns out, apparently Jasmine loves lemons, sourness and all.


	83. Wednesday March 24th, 2021

“Let me put my cold feet on you,” Merlin grouses, trying to put his feet under Arthur’s legs beneath the covers.

Batting the feet away, Arthur sleepily grumbles our a quiet, “No.”

“But I love you.”

Arthur lets Merlin’s feet warm up beneath his boxer clad thighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Pretends I’m not a year and a month late.*
> 
> Come yell at me on my Merlin discord: https://discord.gg/9sm7fDc


	84. Thursday March 25th, 2021

A scuffle from the kitchen sends Grace flying in from the living room after her papa.

“Ffff- fish!” Arthur hisses when he notices his little girl enter the room.

Merlin and Arthur try to teach their daughters to be gentle with the cat. However, this does not stop Foxy from trying to wrestle the kitty treat bag from his adult owners.

“Daddy!” Grace sing-songs for her other father.

With a huff, Arthur gentle pries Foxy’s nails from his arm, only to have Foxy mouth and bite at his hand in rebellion.

“So much for not biting the hand that feeds you,” comes Merlin’s teasing lilt.

His eyes rolling and head tilting up towards his husband, the impromptu human cat toy grumbles his frustrations of wanting to “get the bloo-ming beast off me already.”

Tutting, Merlin tells him not to call the cat a beast.

It takes a little manuevering and careful hands, but eventually the two men manage to put Foxy on the ground, where he soon scuttles off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join me on my Merlin discord and yell at me for updating so late: https://discord.gg/9sm7fDc


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